TL;DR
- Google is testing new options for users of Bluetooth hearing aids.
- The options prevent sudden alerts for notifications or alarms from blasting in the users’ ears.
- These toggles are now live in Android Canary but may not necessarily make it to Android 17.
Google released the Android Canary build 2603 for March 2026 yesterday. We’ve already covered several new design changes, such as redesigned menus, a background blur effect, and other improvements that make the Android interface appear more polished. However, a few smaller tweaks flew under the radar, and we’re now telling you about those as we spot them.
One such change is the redesigned accessibility menu for users with impaired hearing. With Android Canary, Google is adding two new options to the menu, allowing users to control whether specific sounds are played through Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids or not.
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The new options added in Android Canary, in particular, allow users with hearing impairments to limit notification sounds to the phone’s speaker. Additionally, users can completely block ringtones and notifications from playing on the phone’s speakers as well as their hearing aids or in-ear implants.
Two new toggles now appear in the Hearing Devices page under Accessibility settings on Pixel devices, with one toggle for notification sounds and another for ringtones and alarms.
The option will likely prevent jump scares from sudden notifications or ringtones played directly into the users’ ears. More importantly, it should be able to avert discomfort, tinnitus, or, worse, further ear damage in users with already impaired hearing.
Since the option has appeared in Android Canary, we’re unsure if it will make its way to Android 17 or future Android builds, though we hope it does, whether in its current or an improved form.
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